This edited volume explores how (what is today) Scotland can be compared with, contrasted to, or was connected with other parts of Early Medieval Europe. Far from a 'dark age', Early Medieval Scotland (AD 300-900) was a crucible of different languages and cultures, the world of the Picts, Scots, Britons and Anglo-Saxons. Though long regarded as somehow peripheral to continental Europe, people in Early Medieval Scotland had mastered complex technologies and were part of sophisticated intellectual networks.This cross-disciplinary volume includes contributions focussing on archaeology, artefacts, art-history and history, and considers themes that connect Scotland with key processes and phenomena happening elsewhere in Europe. Topics explored include the transition from Iron Age to Early Medieval societies and the development of secular power centres, the Early Medieval intervention in prehistoric landscapes, and the management of resources necessary to build kingdoms.

The aim of the book is to explore the long-standing and multi-faceted relationship between Scotland and the societies and cultures of the European continent, in various epochs and from a large diversity of view points and problematics. The book collects most of the contributions from the IVth annual conference of the Société Française d’Etudes Ecossaises, held in Toulon in October 2005. This international conference gathered fifty European academics, working in a wide range of research fields, from social history to art history, from language to literature, from politics to civilisation and cultural studies. The interdisciplinary ambition and cross-cultural perspective of the conference are reflected in the volume. The book is divided into four main sections: links with Europe, visions of Europe, voices in Europe, and current political issues within the European Union. It illustrates the richness and complexity of the dialogue between Scotland and the continent over the centuries, and underlines the open, fluid and dynamic character of the Scottish identity.

Scottish Nationalism and the Idea of Europe offers fresh insights into the 'pro-European' dimension of Scottish nationalism and its implications for the UK.

This study documents and analyses the expectations of political elites about Scotland's role in a changing European Union. Based on 60 interviews with members of civil society, government officials, and politicians that were conducted during the key months preceding the first elections to the new Scottish Parliament, the book considers two key questions. First, how do elites expect the Scottish Executive to influence European policy-making? Second, how do elites understand the operation of governance under new constitutional arrangements? The study draws from the conceptual framework of Multi-Level Governance, using an actor-centred approach to obtain a nuanced understanding of perceptions. Many elites conclude that devolution is unlikely to affect significantly Scottish involvement in European policy-making. They do believe, however, that it can change the domestic legislative process in accordance with new forms of governance. This approach - which includes the principles of partnership, participation, and co-operation - could also guide Scotland's relationships with the UK and Europe.

A report on the excavation of early historic features at Forteviot, eastern Scotland as part of the University of Glasgow's SERF Project (Strathearn Environs and Royal Forteviot). Also description and analysis of early medieval sculpture from the Forteviot area.